# dify vs Dust
_Workflow & Productivity · independent comparison_

> dify and Dust take different routes to the same job: one is a commercial product, the other open-source and self-hostable. Choose based on whether you want a managed experience or full control.

## Side by side

**dify**
- Open source · Platform · 153k★ · TypeScript · active 2 days ago
- Best for: Teams building LLM apps with a visual builder, RAG pipelines, and agent workflows.
- Avoid if: You need deep programmatic control beyond what a visual platform allows.
- [listing](https://agentsearchengine.app/agents/dify) · [official](https://dify.ai)

**Dust**
- Paid product · Platform
- [listing](https://agentsearchengine.app/agents/dust) · [official](https://dust.tt)

## Key differences

- Dust is a commercial product; dify is open-source and self-hostable.
- Pricing model differs — dify is open source, Dust is paid product.

## Which to choose

**Choose dify if:** Teams building LLM apps with a visual builder, RAG pipelines, and agent workflows.

**Choose Dust if:** you want a managed, commercially-supported product.

## FAQ

**What's the main difference between dify and Dust?**
Dust is a commercial product; dify is open-source and self-hostable.

**Is dify or Dust better?**
Neither is universally better. dify is the stronger fit for Teams building LLM apps with a visual builder, RAG pipelines, and agent workflows; Dust for a managed, commercially-supported product. Use the side-by-side specs to decide by your own constraints.

**Is dify or Dust free?**
dify is free to run and self-host; Dust is a paid product.

**Which is more popular, dify or Dust?**
We rank open-source projects by GitHub adoption, but at least one of these is a commercial product and stars don't measure commercial adoption — so compare them on capabilities and pricing instead.

---
Source: [Agent Search Engine](https://agentsearchengine.app) — https://agentsearchengine.app/compare/dify-vs-dust